Monday, May 11, 2009

That was all it took for me to fall in love with him. 5 simple yet complex moments that occurred within a few months that forever swayed the path in which my life would take. He was the one that I knew I would spend my entire life loving. He was the one I was meant to be with. These moments began with one.

One-The Meeting-It is better to break one's heart than to do nothing with it. (Margaret Kennedy)

I walked through the arena for the first time since I was little. It hadn’t changed at all, except for the fact that instead of coming here to watch a game with my cousin I was now going to watch a game starring my cousin. My cousin was goalie Thomas McCollum of the Guelph Storm. I hadn’t seen him in forever so when he invited me to come stay with him over my spring break I jumped at the chance. We acted more like siblings than cousins. He was only 1 year older than my 17 year old self. My plane had been delayed and I had already missed two periods of the game. I arrived at my seat which was just behind the home goalie. It was where Thomas and I used to sit when we were little and I guess he decided to keep tradition.

After the game, a shutout for my cousin, I waited 10 minutes before heading to the locker room. I wasn’t surprised to see a group of typical puck bunnies waiting outside the locker room door. I slid around the group of girls that I can guarantee were only here for the guys and not the game. They gave me evil looks as I pushed them aside and knocked on the door. I used the secret knock that only Thomas and I knew. He opened the door and pulled me inside wrapping his arms around me in a bear hug. Pulling away he tickled my sides causing me to burst out laughing. When I regained my breath I looked up and scanned my eyes around the room. I knew hockey players were strong but I never knew their bodies looked like this. My cousin followed my eye’s path and for that he gently hit me in the head as to say ‘don’t even think about it’. Like I said earlier we acted like siblings. He was the older overprotective brother that I never had.

He was talking to me about the game when my eyes met HIS. He had the most gorgeous dark brown eyes and my heart skipped a beat. I turned my attention back to my cousin but I couldn’t get that guy out of my head. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him grab his bag and get up to leave. I thought he would walk right by us and was surprised when he stopped next to Thomas. Reaching his hand out to grab mine he held it gently then briefly kissed my hand.

“Drew Doughty,” He said introducing himself. “I’m roomies with this dude here.” He motioned to my cousin. I looked at Thomas as he shrugged. Drew opened the locker room door and led the way to his car. When we arrived at the apartment I was glad to see that it had 3 bedrooms. We sat to watch a movie before going to bed, Drew and I on the couch and Thomas on the recliner. I slowly started to drift asleep when Drew pulled me to his side. This is where I made the little mistake that made me fall for him. Instead of relaxing and laying my head on his chest, I pulled away and got up to go grab a drink before bed. When I passed back through the living room I was taken aback at the sad look on Drew’s face. He looked as if I had just broken his heart.

Two-An Icy Battle-Love is a game that two can play and both win. (Eva Gabor)

When playoffs started I flew back to Guelph in order to support my cousin. I was a senior this year therefore I wasn’t missing anything important. I had talked to my cousin last week and he mentioned that Drew kept asking about me. My flight landed and I texted Thomas to see if he was home. When there was no reply I decided to check the rink to see if the boys were practicing. When I got to the arena there was but one body on the ice. I would recognize him anywhere. It was Drew. He was working on his slap-shot from the left point. I set my stuff down on the closest seat and walked down to the door of the ice. Standing there watching him I got the urge to join him. I walked back up and opened the bag that contained my skates. Sliding them on, I walked back to the door and grabbed a spare stick. I stepped onto the ice and as I approached him our eyes met.

“You up for some one-on-one?” I asked smiling. He nodded and skated towards me. He bent down and set the puck at center ice for the face-off. He counted to three and pushed the puck to me. I took it gladly and skated to the net behind him. He easily took the puck when he lifted my stick and he started to my net. What he didn’t know was that when I played with Thomas and his friends I was always put on defense. Quickly catching up to him I resumed skating backwards and was able to take the puck off his stick when he was trying to deke me out. Putting on the speed I quickly skated around him and shot the puck into the net. I slowed down as I reached the icing line but was run into by a panting Drew. He had me pinned against the boards his hands on either side of me.

“Holy crap…where did you learn that?” He mumbled breathing heavily his voice gruff. I leaned up and whispered, “It’s the advantage of playing D ever since I was 4” into his ear. He moaned lightly and his hips moved forward. I could feel his breath on my neck and the butterflies erupted in my stomach. He ran his lips from my neck to my ear nibbling gently. Then he kissed my forehead, my nose, my cheeks, and my chin before pressing his lips to mine. He slid his tongue into my waiting mouth and our groans intermixed. When he pulled away the look in his eyes was full of love and no longer the heartbreak from the month before.

Though our first kiss was in April we didn’t begin dating until the week of the NHL draft. He asked me to be his girlfriend the night both he and Thomas were drafted to LA and Detroit respectively. I of course said yes. That summer was so much fun. I still hadn’t decided where I was going to school but I didn’t let that bother me. I spent every waking moment with Drew knowing that soon he would be in LA and I wouldn’t get to see him that often.

July 21st I woke up to find a single red rose on my nightstand. It contained the letter O. I placed it into a vase in the kitchen and went to get my daily shower. When I got out I found the letter L written in the fog of the mirror. Throughout the day I kept finding letters everywhere I went, so I wrote them down one-by-one. Problem was they didn’t spell anything. After the O and the L I found an I attached to the cookie mix I had planned on baking. Then I found another O near my car keys. A V was located on the windshield of my car and an E was handed to me by some woman at the grocery store. When I arrived back at my apartment I found a U attached to the door. The final letter was sitting near a new dress and shoes. It was a Y.

The letters in order were: O, L, I, O, V, E, U, and Y. Finally realizing who was behind this crazy lettering I called Drew. He didn’t answer but his voicemail simply said “unscramble them Em.” I sat down and tried to figure out the message he was trying to send. After about 20 minutes, I finally got it. I LOVE YOU. Looking at the clock I realized I need to go get ready for my date tonight with Drew. The dress he had gotten me was black on top and slowly turned into white down at the waist. It had a silver belt and glitter all over the top. The neckline was a low v-neck stemming from a halter. It went down to my knees and was paired with a pair of 3 inch black heels. I have to admit I looked HOT. I guess that’s what Drew was going for.

He picked me up and his jaw dropped. Ok so apparently I surpassed the look he was going for with the dress. He took me out to dinner at an Italian place that had amazing food by the way. Then we went back to his place to watch a movie. When we got there he told me to go pick out a movie while he got some popcorn and sparkling wine. I made my way over to the table and found all my favorite chick-flicks laying there as well as a few candles and a lighter. I popped The Notebook into the DVD player and lit the candles on the table. Just as I was getting ready to curl up on the couch Drew walked into the room carrying two glasses, a bottle and a massive bowl of popcorn. He set everything down on the table and pulled me close to him lying down on the couch.

Halfway through the movie, 2 glasses of sparkling wine, and a bowl of popcorn later we kissed. It wasn’t like any of our other kisses. The kiss was filled with need and want and most of all love. We both knew we were in love with each other. When he gently rolled on top of me I knew it was time. I was ready to give him all of me. Looking into his eyes I knew he understood. He picked me up bridal style and carried me to his bedroom flicking off the TV as he went. Setting me down, he shut the door behind us and slowly began trailing a line of kisses from my ear to my nose to my mouth and my neck. I ran my hands up under his jacket sliding it off of him. The next piece of clothing to go was his dress shirt. He ran his hands down my shoulders and back as my hands followed every line in his chest. He unbuttoned the neck of the halter and slowly peeled the dress up and over my head. As he unsnapped my bra I gently unbuttoned his pants and pushed them down his legs. Shedding our final undergarments he picked me up and laid me down on his bed. As we connected skin-to-skin I was sure this was where I was meant to be.

Four-Two Confessions-I gave you 12 roses 11 fake 1 real and said that I will love you until the last one dies.(Anon)

The middle of August came and Drew had to leave for rookie and training camp. I was in the process of packing and getting ready to move my stuff either to Guelph or LA. I was going to follow Drew no matter where he ended up this season. Early one morning I was in the attic of my parent’s house looking through boxes upon boxes of stuff. Opening one of the boxes farther back in the attic I felt a wave of nausea come over me. The scent of decaying animal flooded my nose and I ran down the steps straight to the bathroom. After puking my guts up, I felt exhausted, both mentally and physically. Deciding it was time for a break I headed to the kitchen to find something to settle my stomach. Mom was making breakfast and I once again made a dash for the bathroom. At that moment I knew something was wrong. I just didn’t know what.

Lying on my bed that afternoon I tried to take a nap. When I awoke I opened my eyes facing my calendar. It was the 23rd of August and I was late. Not just a few days late but like a week and a half late. I just knew. I scheduled a doctor’s appointment for the week before I was supposed to go see Drew. Not that they would do anything but confirm what my head and body already knew to be true.

2 weeks later.

Positive. I wasn’t sure what to think about that one word. Well more like I wasn’t sure what Drew would think about that one word. Or the concept that went along with it. Were we ready to be parents? Was I ready to be a mother? I wasn’t sure about either of these questions but I knew that they would be answered in time. The question I was worried about however was, how would Drew react? As I sat in the airport waiting for my flight to board I had a lot of time to ponder this.

Drew met me at the airport with open arms. As he picked me up and spun me around I forgot about everything that had been weighing me down. Those next few days were pure bliss. I went to practices with Drew and attended all his pre-season games. On Sunday he was headed out of town for another preseason game, so he was making us a nice romantic dinner in his hotel room.

I had gotten all dressed up and had spent hours mentally preparing myself for his reaction to my news. After we ate we curled up on his couch with a bottle of sparkling wine and I curled into his lap. I opened my mouth to tell him and as I began to speak so did he. We both became silent so that the other could speak…once again that got us nowhere. I counted to three on my hands and we both said what needed said at the same time.

Marry me?

I’m pregnant.

We were both stunned silent…but only for a minute. Then he began laughing and I quickly joined in. He slid a beautiful engagement ring onto my finger and placed his hand gently where our baby was currently growing. Everything was going to be all right. Our love would keep us together.

Five-A Miracle-Having a baby is like falling in love again, both with your husband and your child.(Tina Brown)

It was the final home game of the LA Kings season…they had failed to make the playoffs once again. I sat in my normal seat right behind the player’s bench and watched as Drew and the boys beat San Jose. They saluted the fans and I felt a sharp kick in my stomach. Our baby sure was active…must be a trait of Drew’s. As Drew and I lay in bed I continued to feel the sharp kicks. Well I thought they were sharp kicks. They became closer and closer together and when I felt I stream of water down my legs I knew that the baby wasn’t kicking I had gone into labor. I grabbed my phone from the bedside table and sent I text to Thomas to get his butt down to LA. I gently nudged Drew to wake up. He groaned and rolled over finally realizing what was going on when he felt the wetness of the bed. He jumped out of bed. Grabbed my bag and ran down to the car. He was only forgetting one thing. Me. I slowly stood up and threw on a pair of sweats and a sweatshirt. I waddled to the bathroom to brush my teeth and was downstairs before Drew ran back through the door. He was heaving slightly and I just laughed at his demeanor. He helped me into the car and we were on our way to the hospital.

I was settled into a room and a nurse checked to see how far I was dilated. She asked me when the contractions started and Drew looked shocked when I mentioned that they had started during the game. The nurse laughed and told him that it was completely normal for a woman to not realize she was in labor. She said to expect the baby somewhere between 3-6 hours. I was over halfway dilated and still moving quickly. Thomas texted my phone and I made Drew leave the hospital to go talk to him. While he was gone I was given pain meds and was told I only have a centimeter and a half to go and that the baby would be there within the hour.

Drew returned just as I was being prepped for delivery. He scrubbed up and joined me in the delivery room. The delivery was brief and before I knew it my baby girl was being placed in on my chest. Drew cut the cord and smiled at the sight of his two favorite girls. We had decided on the name Alyssa Kassidy about a week ago. I handed her over to Drew and in that moment I had everything I could have ever wanted.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

A few weeks passed and my life was that of any normal teenage girl. I was focused on my schoolwork and just surviving the third quarter of my senior year. Yeah I wasn’t like most seniors that slacked off their senior year. No I had a full schedule with AP classes every bell. When I finally had a day with minimal homework I checked Colin’s profile to see what had been going on with BU hockey. That’s when I noticed it. The relationship status…he had a girlfriend. Go Figure…

After that I kinda ignored everything to do with college hockey.

A few weeks later I was still doing my homework at 3 am. I still had Spanish to do and I knew I wasn’t going to be done anytime soon. I logged onto my Facebook for a 10 minute break. There was a little 1in my online friends box but I didn’t even think to see who it was. I scanned the activity in the last few hours and played on my apps. When I went back to work on my Spanish I forgot to close the browser. Three minutes later I heard a pop and nearly jumped out of my skin. Realizing someone had pulled up a chat box with me on Facebook I sighed. I pulled it up and was shocked to see who had decided to talk to me. It was the Colin Wilson. The guy that had been secretly, silently running through my head in the past month and a half. It said:

Hey

I debated whether or not to respond to someone I had never met and then I decided…what the heck why not.

Hi

I finished the last problem I had around 3:25 am. There was no point in even trying to go to sleep now when I had to be up in an hour and a half anyway. I began to check all my websites when I heard that little pop again.

What’s up.

Not much, you?

I was on the Pittsburgh Penguins website the next time I heard that familiar pop.

Couldn’t sleep. Why are you on at 3 am?

Homework.

10 seconds later…

Ahh ic. Wondering why I’m on?

A little…yeah.

5.4.3.2.1.

Girlfriend and I just got into a huge fight. She was flirting with a bunch of other guys.

My due date was during the Olympic break and Sid decided to stay in Pittsburgh instead of going home to visit his family. I yelled at him but his stubbornness won the fight. He had moved enough of his stuff into my place so that he could be comfortable.

About a week before I was due Army came over, told me to get dressed that we were going out. I could’ve sworn the boys were supposed to have practice that morning, in fact Sid even left to go to practice, or so I thought. Army drove me to Mario and Nathalie’s where I was surprised to see a bunch of familiar cars in the driveway. He helped me out and into the house where I was accepted with hugs from all the guys and their wives. Sid was standing in the corner a small smile on his face. He winked and gestured for me to take a seat in the middle of the room.

“Ok, does someone want to tell me what’s going on here?” I asked.

“Sid didn’t tell you,” was the response I got from over half the room.

I shook my head and motioned for Sid to come closer. He nervously approached probably thinking that I was going to hit him. When he was in my arms reach I pulled him into a strong but gentle hug.

“Thank you,” I whispered into his ear. He kissed my forehead and sat himself down on the couch next to me. We did all the classic baby shower things from games to cake and finally gifts. I received a swing and highchair from Mario and Nathalie, a car seat and book of baby names from Brooks, and a diaper bag full of bottles, diapers, wipes, and a spa day from Army and his girlfriend Mel. Sidney handed me a picture of a baby’s room.

“Max, Fleury and a few of the other guys all decided to buy you the baby furniture. It was delivered last night while you were at class. They can’t wait to come up and see the new baby penguin.” I made a mental note to call all of them tonight to thank them.

“Ok time for Sid’s gift,” Nathalie said. He pulled a box out of his back pocket and placed it on top of my rounded stomach. I quickly unwrapped it and pulled the mass of tape he used to keep it closed off. When I opened the box I saw a set of car keys. Unable to speak I pulled Sid into a hug silently thanking him. He then handed me another package this one with a much better tape job.

“More?” I asked.

“This one is a little more homemade thanks to my mom and Taylor,” He blushed. “I don’t have a single creative bone in my body.”

It was a scrapbook with all sorts of pictures from the time I had arrived in Pittsburgh until now. It had pictures of the guys during practice, Mario consoling me when I found out about the baby, Sid and I picking up Army at the airport, Brooks, Sid and I going mini-golfing, and my favorite picture of Sid and I just chilling out and watching a movie. Then it included pictures of me at each stage of pregnancy as well as all my ultrasound pictures. At the very end was a premade page empty except for the pictures of my baby. As I looked through it I cried seeing all the memories I had in just a few short months. Sid then handed me an envelope.

“This is it, I promise,” He said. “Now I know you aren’t a fan of Jeff Carter and neither am I but I was talking to him and he handed me this. I wasn’t sure if you wanted it or not but I decided to give it to you anyway. “I opened the envelope and pulled out a picture of Tyler and I goofing off on the ice after the last game of the season. Before I put the picture back inside the envelope Sid stopped me. “Turn it over.” I did and was shocked to see the words written in Jeff’s messy handwriting. ‘Tyler and Stacey, true love.’ By now I was balling and Sid stood up pulling me into him. Well as close as I could get with my stomach in the way. He said our goodbyes and helped me into his car driving back to my apartment. On the way home I fell asleep.

I knew that I should tell Tyler that I was having his baby but I no longer knew how to get in touch with him. Sid asked me who the dad was but I just couldn’t tell him. I knew that he would do everything in his power to track Tyler down and I didn’t want to make Tyler give up his dream. Though I was scared to become a single mom I knew that I was never alone. I had Sid, Brooks, Mario and his wife Nathalie in Pittsburgh and I had Marc-Andre and Army out in Wilkes-Barre. They all made sure that I knew I could ask them for anything.

Sid was there for me more than anyone else and the gesture went both ways. When he was upset about a game he knew he was always welcome at my place where he could get a home-cooked meal and a nice big hug. In return he would rub my back and stomach and pick up any cravings that I may have. He had become my number one speed dial.

In fact one night in the middle of December I decided to tell him everything. I told him about meeting Tyler and how he had protected me. I told him about us becoming best friends and then me sleeping with him before we went our separate ways. I told him why I didn’t want to tell anyone about Tyler being the father because I had no way to contact him. Sid just pulled me to him because I had burst into tears while talking about it. He let me cry and eventually I fell asleep head on his chest.

Over the next few months my stomach grew bigger and bigger. It got to the point that I couldn’t bend over or walk easily. When Colby got called up I had even more people there to take care of me. Colby, Sid, and Brooks took turns staying with me in my apartment so that I wouldn’t be alone, and when they were on a road trip I would stay with Mario and Nathalie and Nat and I would go shopping Sid’s treat. He was literally the best friend a girl could have. I may have been carrying Tyler Kennedy’s baby but I was doing just fine with the help of some amazing friends.

He pouted. At the moment he was trying to get me to go to dinner with him. We were in NYC and he had heard of a new restaurant that he wanted me to try with him. Practice had just ended and I was getting ready to go back to the hotel. I was tired and really wanted to just rest. Thinking for a moment I gave in as I appeared to walk out the door ignoring him.

M: Pick me up in an hour. I laughed poking my head back in the room.

Knock knock

I slipped on my shoes, grabbed my purse, and then answered the door. I had decided to wear a cute little black and white dress. Eyeing me his jaw dropped.

S: Wo…Wow! You look absolutely amazing!

He pulled me towards him and stared down into my eyes. Gently lifting my chin up he kissed me. He broke the kiss arms still around my waist. Slowly we made our way to the restaurant. Gosh he just looks better every time I look at him. His sharp jaw and soft eyes are so attractive. Oh my word…am I falling for him?

Leaving the restaurant I smiled. Not only had the food been great it was just barely raining outside. I loved the rain. I made everything take on a slight sparkle. We decided to walk back to the hotel instead of taking a taxi. I followed him to his room due to the fact that I wasn’t really tired. He changed into his pajamas and offered me a pair of boxers and a t-shirt. We crawled into his bed and watched one of his old World Junior games. During the second period I snuggled into his chest and fell asleep.

By now I guess you could say Sid and I were dating. The team was on an 8 game winning streak. Sid and I were racking up the points too. We had played 12 games this month and won 11. The only loss coming in the shootout vs. Tampa Bay.

Oh my gosh! Sid is driving me insane. He is sending me totally mixed signals. One minute he’s flirting with me the next ignoring me. I think it’s time for a women’s advice.

Ding Dong

Nathalie came to the door.

M: Good you’re home, can we tallk?

N: Of course, come on in Melissa. What do you need to talk about?

M: Well, ok. It’s about…well Sidney I guess.

She nodded somewhat knowingly.

N: Let me guess. He has you confused and yet he doesn’t know it.

M: Exactly, I mean he’s flirting one minute and the next he’s how to I put it. Detached.

N: Mel, I probably shouldn’t tell you but he likes you. Just talk to him and you might get the answer you want.

M: Thank you.

I hugged her and left to ponder what Nathalie had told me.

October 17, 2008

Swish, Swish, Clang, Swish, Bang.

I was firing pucks at the net trying to relieve some stress. This thing with Sid is driving me nuts. The ice is the only place that I can get any piece of mind. The next thing I knew Sid was beside me taking slap shots. After 5 minutes the emotion in the air changed. I decided to actually run through some drills if only to escape the tension that was dripping like molasses. I was doing some drills using the boards my back to Sid. Feeling his presence I looked over my shoulders. He spun me around and pressed me flat against the boards. I began to ask what he was doing but he quickly silenced me.

S: Mel, please just hear me out.

He was almost begging me. Quietly I relaxed letting him take control. He continued.

S: Mel, I know you’re not supposed to like someone that you work with but honestly I can’t help it. I mean you’re amazing and I never thought I could find a woman who loves hockey as much as I do. Well maybe besides my sister that is.

He looked so cute and adorable that I just sighed.

S: And I know we have chemistry I mean it’s there on the ice, why not off-ice too.

He continued to blabber and just needed to shut up.

M: Sidney… he paused. Shut up would you.

He froze and looked upset.

S: Sorry I ju…jus…just.

Slowly I freed an arm and snaked it up around his neck. Gently pulling him towards me, I kissed him soundly on the mouth. At first he was shocked, but then he responded eagerly. My god does that boy taste good. Needing to breathe I pulled away and smiled. This might be the start of an amazing thing. Oh and he’s right there is chemistry.

He opened his carryon and pulled out a tiny bottle. He slid a pill into my hand.

S: Ginger pills, trust me they help.

I grabbed my water bottle and swallowed the pill.

M: Thanks.

Oh, you want to know how my first game went. Ok, well let’s just say…it was AMAZING!! I had a blast and Sid is awesome. We won both our games. Sid scored 5 goals total with me assisting on all of them. I didn’t score but that was on purpose. I want my first goal to be in the Mellon so Sid said we’d make that happen.

October 7, 2008

He shoots and scores! Sorry, correction: SHE shoots and scores! My first goal! Oh and it came maybe 20 seconds into the first period. Sidney won the opening faceoff and passed the puck to me. We skated into the offensive zone together as I passed the puck back to him. He skated past the defense and behind the net. I slid to the crease and received the puck that he sent up over the top of the net. Quickly I slid the puck into the top left corner. I just smiled as Sid pulled me into a hug and I listened to the crowd go wild.

Sitting on the bench everyone congratulated me. After the game which we won 5-2 we all decided to go clubbing. Finishing my interviews I went back to the shower to change. Instead of my pants I decided to wear my dark pink dress. It was just a tad bit flirty. I reapplied my makeup and pulled my hair back so it was half-up half-down. Most of the guys had already left and those that hadn’t were in interviews or showering.

S: Wow, Mel, you look amazing.

Shocked to hear his voice I spun around.

S: Oh come on, don’t even try to deny it. You flat out look hot.

He was whispering in my ear, his voice slightly husky.

After that let’s just say the rest of the night was awkward. I think Sid was flirting with me. I’m not sure though, I’ve never had a guy think I was hot. I was always known as being too smart or being too much of a tomboy for playing hockey. Argggghhh. I’m so confused right now. I mean is the flirting serious or just for fun. Does he actually like me or just wants someone who’s easy. Seriously I need to know.

Monday, April 13, 2009

A first impression can tell you many things. It can tell you whether someone is shy or egotistical. It can tell whether someone is lazy or hardworking. It can also tell you if someone is smart or doesn’t care. In fact it was my first impression of Steven Stamkos that started this whole mess. Sitting there watching the 2008 NHL draft from the upper bowl is when I got my first impression of him. As he hugged his parents when the Tampa Bay Lightning called his name he had this smirk that gave me the immediate impression that he was a jerk, that and the fact that he took half-an-hour hugging everyone in his entire section. I mean seriously you will see them later…it’s not like you are flying to Tampa right this minute. I understand mom, dad, and even grandparents or a girlfriend but beyond that save it for later. After that he was the last thing on my mind because honestly those boys are hot and well he’s just average looking.

A few weeks later.

I never realized how much stuff I had from when I was little until I had to pack it all up and move away from home. My favorite uncle had recently gotten a job in Tampa Bay and had asked me to join him. Not only was his new job in Tampa Bay it was with the Lightning. Therefore it entailed me to things I had never dreamed of. Things like ice level seats to see some of the premiere players of the game or free stuff. Walking through the lobby of Ottawa International Airport is a pain let me tell you that. As I was reaching my boarding area my phone rang. I managed to dig through my bag and find my phone before I missed the call. Granted by this time I was slightly flustered so seeing my uncle’s name on the caller ID was a relief. “Hey,” I smiled answering. “Samantha I know I told you I’d be there to pick you up but uh something came up and they need me at work. I’m truly sorry,” He apologized. I sighed; I was really looking forward to seeing him. “That’s ok Uncle Mac, I understand.” “No it’s not ok, you know I hate breaking my promises especially those to you. I’ll talk to one of the players and see if they can pick you up and bring you back to the arena. I should be done by then and I can give you a tour. Then we’ll go out to dinner, my treat.” “Really it’s fine I’ll manage…” He quickly cut me off. “I insist, you know how stubborn I can be.” That I did and since my plane was to start boarding in a few minutes I knew better than to even get into this argument with him. “Alright,” I groaned. “I’ll see you soon then my plane is boarding.” I ended my call and got in line with my boarding pass and passport.

When the flight landed in Tampa the first thing I noticed was how bright it was, and how warm. Dang I already needed to shed layers and I hadn’t even gotten inside the main part of the airport yet. Quickly I sprinted to the baggage claim hoping to beat the rush of passengers. I grabbed my bag and headed off to the passenger pickup area. Scanning the area I was unable to find anyone that looked even semi-familiar. Then again I wasn’t very up to date on Tampa’s revamped roster either. Of course he wouldn’t send anyone that I knew what they looked like. I turned on my phone hoping my uncle had called to tell me who was picking me up. Once again, no such luck. Scanning the room once again I saw a guy kind of hiding near the back who appeared to be waiting for someone. On a closer look I finally recognized him. It was Ryan Malone who had previously been a Pittsburgh Penguin before signing with Tampa prior to free-agency. Slowly as to not blow his disguise I walked toward him. He greeted me with a hug even though he had never met me. I guess he's a very friendly guy. He took my bags and led me to a silver Lexus. It was a very nice car. He opened the passenger door for me and I slid into the seat. He drove me to the arena and took me into the player's lounge. That's where I saw him. He was hanging with a flock of girls all crowding around him like vultures to a dead body. It was disgusting. Ryan introduced me to some of the guys like Lecavalier, Hall, Roberts, Recchi, and St. Louis. They were all really cool. I sat on the couch and watched them play NHL 2K9 until my uncle appeared in the doorway to take me home and then out to dinner.

As the weeks passed I grew to hate HIM even more. Since he met me my second day in Tampa he has been flirting with me non-stop. I was so sick of his egotistical butt. Eventually the guys got sick of my moodiness and kept me away from HIM if at all possible.

With the end of training camp I was hoping that they would send him back to Sarnia and that I would no longer have to deal with him. My wish wasn’t granted. Of course I was stuck watching the biggest jerk on the planet for at least the next 9 months. During the beginning of the season I became good friends with Ryan’s wife Abby. I spent most of the games with her and their son William. It was the easiest way to avoid Stamkos.

When the head coach was fired things changed. I noticed an immediate change in Steve’s behavior…well at least at the rink. He finally stopped hitting on me and I was so longer stepped on by puck-bunnies after every game. Abby seemed to acknowledge the shift in my opinion of Steve. She now made it her mission to help me realize that I was falling for the cocky idiot, and I’ll admit it I didn’t think he was near as bad as my first impression made him to be. The look on his face when he or one of his teammates scored was actually kind of cute.

The night that he scored his first NHL hat-trick Ryan decided to have a small party at his house while Abby and William were back in Pittsburgh visiting some family. Ryan practically threatened that if I didn’t come he would tell Abby and she would find some way to torture me. Therefore I relented and let him drive me back to his place to help him set up for the party.

While the party was in full swing I was sitting out on the back porch sipping at a can of pop and just looking up at the moon and stars. I was so caught up in the gorgeous view that I didn’t even notice the sliding door open and someone’s body plop down next to me on the steps. I shivered slightly at the proximity of whoever was there. I looked over at the male only to see Steven sitting next to me. He looked at me with those bright bluish/greenish eyes and I was slightly taken aback. They say the key to a person’s soul is their eyes and I could read every emotion in his at that very moment. They held excitement, peacefulness, happiness, and another emotion that I thought to be love. He set his pop down next to him and turned his body slightly towards me. He wrapped his arm around me pulling me closer and also warming me to the bone. He was well muscled and yet very soft at the same time. I couldn’t help but to look up at him with wonder and amazement at the promise his eyes held.

He tilted my head up slightly with his free hand and placed his hand on my cheek. Looking deep into my eyes he slowly leaned in and briefly brushed his lips to mine. Pulling back so that only our foreheads touched he whispered, “I like you…no scratch that I’m in love with you.” Hearing these words and no longer caring about holding back my feelings I collided my lips to his and kissed him with all the passion I possessed. He smiled into the kiss.

When we broke apart I said “People say first impressions are the most important but screw them, I’d rather follow the ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’. He just laughed and pulled me further into his side as we watched the stars above and I knew that this was right.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

We had just landed in Stockholm, Sweden. We were here to open the 08-09’ season against Ottawa. We were supposed to enjoy a few days rest and sightseeing before playing. Well everyone but Sidney and I. Our schedules were packed full of interviews with every nation imaginable. Apparently it’s a big deal when the face of hockey travels overseas. In fact Sid and I were headed to do a few interviews now. We had our first interviews with the Canadian/American media. Most only wanted to speak with Sid except for the few American journalists that asked to speak with me.

October 2, 2008

After eating and getting a good night’s rest we had to deal with the foreign media. They had translators available for each of these. Sid was able to pull out his French for a few but needed help with the rest. After about 6 hours the Spanish media asked to talk with both Sid and I. The translator was sick but was planning on coming in any way when I told them to send him home. Sid obviously missed that part of the conversation. After sitting in the media room for about 5 minutes he started to worry.

S: Where’s our translator? M: Don’t worry about it. I shrugged.

After a few more minutes the reporter arrived.

Press: Melissa ¿Cómo esta? (How are you?) M: Muy bien y Ud. (Good, and you?) Press: ¿Cómo le gusta Europe? (How do you like Europe?) M: Europe es muy bonito, y me encanta. (Europe is very pretty and I love it.) After asking me a few more questions she moved on to Sid.

Press: Sidney ¿Cree Ud. Su equipo pode ganar el Stanley Cup este año?

He looked confused as to what was being asked.

M: She said- Sidney, do you believe your team can win the Stanley Cup this year?S: Oh…well yes I do believe we can win it this year, we have an amazing team.

She nodded and continued the interview. I continued translating his questions and Sid’s answers. Finally we were done and we were heading back to the hotel.

S: Ok what was that? M: What? S: You know what, just make me look like an idiot. M: And I didn’t… I don’t know French. Thank gosh they were all directed towards you.S: So what…I still looked stupid. M: The Spanish translator was sick and since I have a decent comprehension of Spanish I told them to let him rest we’d manage.S: Oh, sorry. M: You’re forgiven.

We arrived at the hotel had dinner with the team and then went to bed.

Hanging up the phone I reflected on what Mario had said. He had basically told me that I was in. The league and player’s assoc. were making an exception and allowing me to play. I was to join practice today. Sid and I have been working hard the past week and it’s really starting to pay off. I can almost out bench him. I grabbed my bag and keys and headed out the door. Arriving at the arena I smiled. This place was already starting to feel like home. Seeing as Mario called me late, the locker rooms were empty at the moment. The guys were doing warm up stretches so I guess I wasn’t THAT late. As I stepped onto the ice Sid looked up and saw me.

S: Hey Mel.

I waved and slid over to him.

M: So did you hear the ruling?S: I’ve been on the ice almost all morning so I’m gonna say no.M: You’re stuck with me, I grinned.S: Really you’re in? That’s great!

He hugged me making me fall down. In the process he fell down too. Talk about awkward. Slowly he got up and pulled me to my feet. Coach Therrien just looked at me strangely.

CT: Melissa what are you doing here?

I left Sid and skated over toward the bench.

M: Mario called me about a half hour ago. The league approved my appeal to play. CT: Ok go stretch and practice with the guys. I’ll have Sidney introduce you to everyone later.

With that I was dismissed. Practice was good but very easy. Working with Sid has gotten me in great shape. I must say…I was faster and a more fluent skater than half the other guys. Plus I scored a lot more. After grabbing a quick shower I went to put on nicer clothes. Everyone was still showering. I threw on a denim skirt and a light pink baby-doll style top. Grabbing my flip-flops off the floor I noticed that Sid had gone but left behind a note.

Mads,

The guys are all meeting for lunch at Eat’n’Park. You are welcome to join us. (11:30am)

Sid

PS: My treat…as a congratulatory present.

I smiled and grabbed my bags so I could get going. After all I deserved one relaxing day before dealing with the media storm, which was sure to come. I pulled up to my apartment and went inside to put my hockey bags there. Making sure I had everything I needed, I checked the clock.

10:50am

Hopping back into my car I started to make my way to the restaurant. Hearing one of my favorite songs I turned up the radio. When it was over I heard an announcement that somehow surprised me.

As of today the NHL had decided to include certain females that they deem ready into the league. This has come due to Pittsburgh native Melissa Norris’s appeal to play. The Pittsburgh Penguins have not announced whether Melissa will be on their official roster at the beginning of the 08-09 season.

I slammed on my brakes not believing what I had just heard. I can’t believe the news leaked that quickly. Composing myself I pulled into the parking lot. Sid had just arrived and was getting out of his SUV. He saw me and came over. I still was shocked and apparently he noticed.

S: So I’m guessing you heard the radio announcement too. I just nodded. Don’t worry about it…this is just a big thing that’ll blow over in no time. Well at least until people realize how good you are.

M: Gee thanks that helped.

Sidney shrugged and led me inside. Half the team had already arrived and was sitting around laughing. Sidney walked over and patted Army on the back. (He had begged and pleaded to be moved back to Pittsburgh.) I followed Sid lest look like an idiot just standing there. Sid pulled out a chair for me and then sat down on my right.

S: Guys…everyone turned to look at him. This is Melissa.

A: New girlfriend Sid?

S: Ummm no, try new teammate.

W: Wait, I heard this on the radio but I didn’t believe it.

M: Well it’s true.

Mal: And you’re from Pitt?

M: Oh Yeah

Mal: Cool another Home-Towner

Everyone else said hi and other pleasantries. After eating and thanking Sid so many times that he yelled at me for it, I headed home to relax and watch a movie.

I grabbed my jeans off my bed and grabbed a Pittsburgh Penguins shirt out of my drawer. I pulled my long brown hair back as I walked to the door. I opened it and saw Sidney leaning against the frame.

S: Hi, he said looking somewhat like a nervous teenage boy.

I motioned for him to come in. I then led him to the living room.

M: Want anything to drink?S: Water’s fine.

I grabbed water for him and a pop for me. I returned to the living room and plopped down on the couch next to him. I handed him the bottle.

S: So I talked to MarioM: Yeah should I be surprised. You do live with him, I smirked. He pushed me gently on the arm. S: You know that’s not what I meant.M: Just teasing you.S: As I was saying I talked to Mario…about you.M: Good or bad? I was dying to know as this had been my dream for so long. S: I don’t know, I think it’s good but that’s my opinion.

I motioned for him to continue.

S: He said so far so good and that they are getting closer. He also said we should get working on some plays.

Slowly I walked down the long hallway that would soon become very familiar. As I got closer to my destination I could begin to smell the ice. And yes ice does have a smell. Finally reaching the opening where the entrance to my domain was I stopped and set my bag down. Pulling the zipper open I grabbed my hockey skates and put them on. At the moment all I wanted to do was skate. Gliding, I gradually got used to the difference in the ice. After doing speed drills I went back to get my water bottle. Standing at the doorway was none other than Sidney Crosby dressed in a sweat suit and his skates with his stick in one hand and a couple pucks in the other.

S: Hi, he said smiling.M: Nice to meet you, I replied. S: Do you play? M: OH yeah, I’m trying to make it professionally now. Oh and I’m Melissa. S: Sidney.M: No duh, I laughed. S: So you want to go pro?M: Of course, hockey isn’t just for guys.S: We’ll see about that.

We went out onto the ice and he handed me a spare stick.

S: Easy game, no check.M: If you’re worried about me I can handle it.S: Nah, I’m not worried about you I just don’t need injured before the season starts.M: Yeah, last year was bad enough, I cringed.

He nodded and we started our one on one game. Personally I say I kicked his butt. And he wasn’t going easy on my either. I had a ton of speed and I knew how to use it. I scored again.

S: Ok. I give up…, he said trying to catch his breath. Damn you’re good.CT: Did you have a good workout Sid?

I slid over to the bench where I had placed my water and took a huge sip.

S: Oh yeah, she’s good. He motioned to me. CT: Well I’m glad you think so. If all goes according to plan she’ll be your winger this year. M: I’m gonna go grab a shower…nice to meet you Sid.

I walked to the locker room, not wanting to eavesdrop…well I do but I won’t. Heading home for the day I pondered what Sid and the coach had said.

As I slid the key into the lock, I felt a wave of butterflies come over me. This was my classroom; the place where I could share what I’ve learned in my 20 years on earth. I was back in my hometown teaching what I love, English. But it wasn’t hat boring kind written by people 3 centuries ago. I was teaching modern English …a course for those like me who just flat out like to read. They get to pick the books and they get to do most of the ‘teaching’. Oh and we didn’t have to think while reading. This course was purely to enjoy without the bother of tests and quizzes. I had already prepared everything for tomorrow classes. Today I was to meet with a few of my students. Then later I had a meeting with the local hockey coach about helping with the team. My first meeting was with one of the hockey players though I couldn’t remember his name. I reread the email his mother had sent me.

Dear Ms. James

I am a little concerned about Jared. Your class was given to him at the last minute and he really isn’t a reader. If you wouldn’t mind meeting with us to further discuss what your class requires that would be great.

Sincerely, Linda Staal.

Why oh why did that last name seem so familiar. Yeah Jared Staal…I think I’ve heard of him from someone or somewhere. Well no time to think of it now.

As that thought ran through my head I heard a knock on the doorframe. I motioned for them to come in as I stood. We shook hands and made our way to my desk.

“Hi Mrs. Staal, I’m Heather James.”

“Nice to meet you, this is my youngest son Jared. We all sat down and I asked about her concerns.

“Well let’s just say English has never been his strongest class and I’m worried that the pace will be too much.”

“Actually the pace is what the students want it to be.” I plan my lessons around what they want. There will be book talks but no written assignments. As long as a reading log is filled out each week and the student has made some progress in their novel there won’t any issues. We’ll have discussion groups and a board of book suggestions for each class. I plan on this being a very laid back class. “

I paused to breathe and let both Linda and Jared absorb the information. They both smiled and stood up to leave.

“Thank you so much…please let me know if you have any problems.” I shook both their hands before they left.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

If you’re wondering I ended up back in my hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The penguins had seemed excited with the prospect of having an intern that knew what she was doing, and the University of Pittsburgh gave me a full ride. When I missed my period I figured it was due to the stress of moving, and starting a new school. Once I got into a rhythm I figured I’d be okay. My first week of training camp after the first cut was the most fun I had ever had. I met lots of the guys like Brooks Orpik, Colby Armstrong, Marc-Andre Fleury, the number one draft pick Sidney Crosby, and Mario Lemieux. Everyone was so nice that I was upset when everyone but Brooks, Sid and Mario were sent down to Wilkes-Barre. Mario treated me like a daughter and was concerned when I was constantly throwing up. He sent me to the doctor’s and threatened that if I didn’t go he would make Brooks and Sid take me. When I got the results of all the tests the doctor ran I was sitting on the bench watching practice. I answered my phone and nearly fell over in shock. I stuttered out the results and the boys left practice early to comfort me. Brooks went to get me ice-cream, Sid for a good movie and tissues and Mario took me back to his place and set me up in Sid’s room. I just couldn’t believe that I was pregnant.

At home and on road trips we were inseparable. He was the only guy coach had we room with and when we did we had a ton of fun. Occasionally he helped me with me with my homework since he had graduated the year before. The whole team thought we were dating but we were just best friends. We did everything best friends do. We bought each other actual Christmas gifts instead of gag gifts like the rest of the team. While the team still tried to hit on me, no one dared try to talk me in the locker room. Ty had marked that territory as untouchable. We spent weekends and days off at the movies or the mall, hanging out like normal teenagers. As the playoffs approached Ty became more focused because of the NHL scouts at every game. With this distraction we hung out less and less. I can’t say I really noticed considering I was worried sick waiting for my college letters to return. I had applied to schools all over the country hoping to catch the interest of an NHL team and possibly a better internship. We talked briefly on road trips but it wasn’t the same and everyone noticed.

With the end of the season and the knowledge that we’d never see each other again we went back to my place to pack my stuff and say our goodbyes. That day it seemed like things were normal again. I was putting my clothes in boxes when he hit me from behind with a pillow. As I ducked his throws I tried to sneak closer in order to tickle him. When I succeeded I laughed. He grabbed me and we fell on the bed tickling each other. When we were both exhausted we realized the position we were in. He had me pinned under him and my arms at my head. He leaned down and kissed me. I pulled him closer and things progressed further than I should have ever let them. When I woke up the next morning he was gone, no note, no nothing. It was both the best and worst goodbye I had ever gotten.

The next day I grabbed my purse and a water bottle and left for the rink. I had a brief meeting with the coaches before heading to the benches with the notepad of stats and my laptop. I sat and finished the stat work before checking my email for my assignments. I began the math work, and then the history before faxing them in from the rink’s main office. When I arrived back at the benches the team was warming up and goofing off. Coach Craig called me over for the official introductions and right before I got there I slipped. I braced myself for the fall, but it never came. Instead I was wrapped in the arms of a short but strong guy. He helped my back to my feet and smiled. I finally made my way to Coach’s side and he introduced me to all the boys. I had met most of them at the airport but I quickly discovered my hero wasn’t one of them. His name…Tyler Kennedy. I was escorted back to the away bench where I sat and watched the rest of practice. Kennedy was not the most talented but you could tell just by looking at him that he had heart.

As I learned over the next few weeks he was a sweetheart. I didn’t spend much time with the team, as I was bogged down with work for coach and school. When I was with them I was constantly hit on. Another reason I kind’ve stayed away from the team. One day however the boys took it too far apparently. It was after a home game and I was in the office updating stats when I heard a commotion outside the door. I went out to find Tyler and Jeff Carter, one of the other boys engaged in an argument.

“Woah, what’s going on,” I said. I tried to step in between them but an approaching Coach held me back.

“Let them fight this one out.” I nodded then turned back trying to figure out the source of the argument. I was only catching a few words and became very confused when I saw Tyler shove Jeff. He didn’t seem like the type to fight…especially not one of his own teammates. Whatever happened had him really fired up. When Tyler threw a punch I became slightly frightened. After another minute coach finally intervened pulling Jeff away from Tyler. “You know you deserved that.” He stated walking Jeff to the trainer.

I looked to Tyler, one to try and figure out why the fight had occurred and, two to see how bad the damage was. He had a split lip, and was certainly going to have a black eye tomorrow. I reached behind me and grabbed the bottle of water that had been in the freezer all day. I walked towards him placing the bottle on his now swelling lip. He nodded thanking me and I whispered welcome.

“So…what was that all about?” I asked. He looked at me in disbelief, eyebrows raised.

“You know how they hit on you?” He wondered.

‘Yeah…” I contemplated where he was going with this.

‘Well it’s 10x worse when you’re not around. No one should ever be talked about like that,” he muttered. “And Jeff, he’s the worst. I just couldn’t listen to it anymore.”

I hugged him whispering thank you’s in his ear.

“I mean it,” I said as I pulled away. Sine Jeff was his ride and I knew that wasn’t going to happen I smiled and said “Come on, let’s get something better than a water bottle on that.” We drove back to my apartment where I got him a bag of ice and we spent the night talking. I had become best friends with the only guy to not only to save me from falling on my butt, but to defend my honor too.

Some say high school is the time that you can’t wait to be over. Others say that it’s an adventure. Now normally I’d agree with the first statement but this year…this year will be better than I could ever dream of. You see I wasn’t attending my senior year like normal. No, I was headed to another country. I was headed from a small town in southwestern Ohio of the United States to the even smaller town of Sault Ste. Marie in Ontario, Canada. Wonder why? I had gotten an internship as a medical assistant with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

As I arrived at the airport I was actually surprised to see a group of teenage boys waiting for me. I had been expecting one of the assistant coaches or even another member of the staff not half the team. Well I guess it’s not every day that you get a female intern form the states. Overall the group looked to be nice but I could tell there were a few that would get on my nerves. Readjusting my bag on my shoulder I smiled and walked toward the group. After introductions were made we left the airport and headed toward the apartment the team provided for me.

We had a special delivery today. One of the hockey wives had given birth to her first child. I was the only one working in the nursery at the moment and when her husband arrived to see the baby I was shocked to see him there too. They scrubbed up and I handed cam Ward his daughter. I walked to the fridge to get her bottle and handed it to Cam as well. While he fed her I went over to wash the dishes left by the previous shift. While I wash the coffee mugs I noticed that he was beside me drying them. I looked at him and he smiled.

“Nice shirt,” he said. I looked down at the Hurricane t-shirt I wore under my smock.

“It was the only shirt I had clean,” I teased. His booming laughter filled the room and my heart fluttered.

“Are you doing anything tonight?” he asked.

“Not that I know of,” I answered.

“Good, you’ll have a ticket waiting for you at Gate 3.” He dried the last mug and then went to talk with Cam. I stood frozen at the sink for at least 2 minutes before going to put the little girl in Cam’s arms back to bed. The rest of the day I couldn’t stop smiling. Had Eric Staal asked me out? No he just saw that I was a fan and invited me to see his team play. When Maria came to relieve me from my shift she just smirked as I rushed to sign out.

Stopping quickly at my apartment to change, I made my way to the arena headed for Gate 3. I thought I blended into the crowd pretty well. I wore jeans, a canes sweatshirt, and a hat with the number 12 on it. I got my ticket from the call office and made my way to my seat. When I got there I was pleasantly surprised at the location. It was lower bowl, center ice, across from the benches. I was even more surprised at who they were next to. Now I may not have followed the NHL very closely but I could guarantee that my seat was next to Henry and Linda Staal, Eric’s parents. I slid into my seat hoping they would ignore me. My wish was granted, at least during the game it was. Along with my ticket was a locker room pass and a note that said ‘show up or else :)’. I dilly-dattled to the locker room so that the guys had plenty of time to shower and dress. When I got there I was let in immediately. Eric’s parents were talking to Cam congratulating him on the shutout and new baby. Eric was tightening his tie and when he saw me he gave me a big hug.

This is what it means to be held (Held-Nathalie Grant)

“You came,” he said. I nodded, blushing when I noticed his mom’s gaze on our encounter. I felt awkward the rest of the night and escaped as soon as I could saying I was tired and had to work early.

The wise hand opens slowlyTo lilies of the valley and tomorrow(Held-Nathalie Grant)

I walk through the gardens everyday. It gives me a piece of mind. No matter how stressed or emotional I feel, it always relaxes me. Normally they are empty and I am left with my thoughts. Today, however, it was full of children from the cancer ward laughing and having fun. I couldn’t help but smile slightly hearing them. As I turned the corner I discovered the cause of the laughter. Today was one of the visits from the Carolina Hurricanes who came 2 or 3 times a year. I was sitting on my normal bench when one of the kids whose mom had just had a baby ran over. She pulled me to my feet and dragged me over to meet the man she had been talking to. She was jumping up and down as she introduced us. He was Eric Staal one of the star centers. We talked about crazy things while playing with the kids. It’s too bad I’ll never see him again.

‘Throughout the next few weeks my dreams were plagued by thoughts of Brent. As much as he hurt me I couldn’t help but miss him. I missed his jokes, his manner, and the way his skin felt when it brushed against mine. It may sound crazy but I believe that he never meant to hurt me.’

Around a month following her practice with Jared, she was skating freely on the ice on the wolves’ off-day. She did lazy laps, and easy wrist shots. Her mind was wandering and she was on the verge of tears. He was leaning against the door to the ice just watching her. He knew something was wrong, heck the whole team knew something was wrong but no one wanted to be the person who asked about it. Seeing her crying Jared knew it was time. She was keeping something inside and it was slowly killing her. He carefully walked toward her and pulled her to him, her tears staining his t-shirt. He could care less; he was just worried about her. When she looked up at him, he wiped her tears away and smiled. They cleaned the equipment up and left through the locker room.

“Hey, come watch a movie with me?”

She nodded and followed him to his car. It was a silent ride and when they arrived at his apartment he was at her side opening the door before she had even unbuckled her seat belt. They walked into the living room taking off shoes and coats at the door. He went to the kitchen for snacks and drinks and told her to pick out a movie. As she looked though his collection certain titles popped out at her as she remembered all the night’s spent at Brent’s. She remembered the fun and she remembered the bruises. She finally remembered the night she had blocked from her mind…the night of the breakup.

She had gone to Brent’s because though she loved him she was tired of having to explain the bruises. Ever since he had decided to move cross-country for college he had become more controlling and violent. She truly believed that it was her fault. If she wasn’t such a bad girlfriend he wouldn’t hurt her. A fight ensued and she began throwing things trying to defend herself. When she accidently picked women’s clothes that were not her’s, she finally snapped. She ended the relationship because he was cheating on her. He became very angry and threw her against his bedroom wall. He kicked and hit her for at least ten minutes. Then his persona changed.

“Well if you actually put out, I wouldn’t have to look for other girls.”

He pulled her off the floor where she had fallen during his attack and began to tear the clothes off of her. When she realized what he was doing she screamed and began to fight back. He covered her mouth and put so much pressure on her neck that she became unconscious. When she woke up he was gone, but she knew in her heart what had taken place.

She was sobbing uncontrollably when Jared returned from the kitchen. When he approached her she began to hit him. He absorbed the blows until she calmed down and then picked her up and carried her to the couch. She was crying and he just held her letting her know that everything would be ok. Eventually she fell asleep in his arms. He carried her to his room and called her uncle before grabbing a pillow and blanket and lying on the couch.

He came back and they started running a few drills, trying to outdo each other. They did some puck maneuvering, target drills, and skating drills.

‘I must say he’s pretty good, not many guys can keep up with me.’

After about 20 minutes they started to just goof off. They had races, came up with some crazy drills and some even crazier games. They held a breakaway challenge like at the all-star game. It was the first time in a while that she couldn’t stop smiling.

Exhausted they collapsed on the ice breathing heavily.

“Okay so I know I said wow before, but really, the way you play is amazing.”

She blushed slightly, embarrassed.

“See, I was a little concerned when coach said his niece was coming to help him, but I gotta admit I’m impressed.”

“So am I, I’ve never met a guy that can keep up with me for that long, most pass nearly pass out after half an hour.”

His face turned bright red, but the smirk was still clearly planted on his face.

Monday, March 2, 2009

Many say that it doesn’t exist I tend to disagree. I am one of those few people who believe in ‘love at first sight’. Well maybe not love but there was something there the first time I saw him. What it was I wasn’t quite sure. The first time I saw him play was during the 2009 World Juniors and I must admit I couldn’t take my off of him. I didn’t even know what he looked like at the time but WOW. He was everywhere the puck was and more. I didn’t even care about the score I could only think about this boy. The only thing I knew about him was his last name. Wilson.

I planned on watching the semi-finals just so that I could see him play again. Unfortunately I was dumb and got the game time wrong. After that his name slipped to the back of my mind what with exams coming up. That was until I happened to remember wanting to look him up. Via Wikipedia I found out his full name and that he was born in Connecticut but had been raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was the son of former NHLer Carey Wilson and had been drafted 7th overall by the Nashville Predators in the 2008 NHL Draft. With the need for information about this majorly talented guy sated he once left my daily thoughts.

About a week later I realized I had no clue what he looked like and I went in search of a picture. All the ones I found though were action shots from the WJ’s and contained no different of a view than what I had while watching the game. After that I gave up and decided to check my Facebook. Under my news feed was an album featuring Nikita Filatov and pictures from the World Juniors. I scanned through the pictures and when I saw it I froze. It was HIM. Tagged and everything. This was even more of a wow moment. He was GORGEOUS! Through the tag I found his profile and decided to add him as a friend. When I awoke the next morning I had an alert. When I clicked on it I was pleasantly surprised to see an acceptance of friendship. I spent that morning just looking through his photos. If that boy isn’t photogenic I don’t know who is.

Monday, January 26, 2009

I go to my classes the next day and make plans to hang out with Jordan on Wednesday, since I have a few things I need to do for school, and because I have to think about what to do. I don’t know what I’m going to do, and this is driving me crazy.I get to Amy and Matt’s at six, and I can see they’ve both just gotten home from work, so I help them out with dinner. Amy told Matt what was going on (she asked me if she could, and I told her yes), so he puts his opinion into the conversation every once in awhile. But, there are no clear-cut answers as to what I should do. I know they can’t answer that, and that it’s something I have to do on my own, and it sucks.“Maddie,” Matt begins, as we’re cleaning up the dishes, “after listening to everything, I think you should tell him. I know you two are best friends and that this could ruin everything, but there’s a chance he might like you too. And you won’t know unless you try. I can’t tell you how you should tell him or what you should say, but tell him.”“I agree,” Amy says, nodding her head. “When, though?” I ask them both as I put some plates in the dishwasher.“That I can’t say, but you should soon,” Amy says, handing me some silverware to put in the dishwasher.“Like, before he breaks up with Heather, or after?”“That I can’t tell you. Do you really want to be the one that gets blamed for them breaking up? Don’t the Staals and everyone love Heather?”“Well, yeah, they do, but they like me too. I mean, we had a ton of fun when I went up there this summer. The guys on the team love me, the Staals love me, come on, what’s not to love?” I end it with a little sarcasm, just because this conversation is super serious. I do get Matt and Amy to laugh, so that’s a good thing.“Do us all a favor and tell him,” Amy says, still laughing. “You haven’t been the same lately, and you’re always happy.”“You’re not the first person to tell me that,” I say to her as we head into the family room because Gossip Girl is about to start. It’s our favorite show; even Matt loves it, which is totally rare.“Well, just don’t be miserable so much. The sooner you tell him, the better.”I think about what Amy and Matt told me while we watch the show. I decide that I’m going to give it a week. If he doesn’t break up with Heather in a week, I’m telling him how I feel. I can’t stand it anymore. I tell Matt and Amy this after the show, and they seem to think it’s a good idea. I don’t want to be seen as the girl that broke Heather and Jordan up. I was cheated on by my boyfriend that I started dating late in my senior year of high school and dated until February of my freshman year, when I found out he was cheating on me with my best friend from high school, Alyssa. Needless to say, we haven’t talked since, and I hadn’t really dated anyone since then until my month-long “thing” with Ryan (which I really can’t call a relationship). Truth be told, I’m scared. I’m scared that Jordan will reject me, that we won’t be friends anymore, and that I will have lost probably one of the best friends I have ever had. *****I leave Matt and Amy’s around ten, and walk back into my apartment around ten thirty. I stop into Helen and Ann’s rooms and tell them my plan, and they think it’s a good idea. I realize that Jordan has a road trip and will be leaving this Friday and not getting back until late next Tuesday night, but if he hasn’t broken up with Heather by the end of that road trip, I’m telling him.*****I’m in class on Tuesday morning and I feel my phone vibrate. I look down at it, and it says that Jordan’s calling me. Fortunately, I only have a few minutes of class left, so I’ll be able to catch him before he goes into practice.“Hey, were you in class?” he asks me.“Yeah, I was. Are you on your way to the rink?”“Yeah, I’m just about to get there. I just wanted to know if you wanted to hang out and grab lunch or something today or tomorrow.”“That would be great,” I tell him. “How about tomorrow? I have class until one, so do you want to grab a late lunch?”“Sure. Do you just want to meet somewhere near campus? I mean, that would be easier for you.”“Great. Want to just meet at my apartment?”‘That would be easy. Okay, I’m at the rink, so I’ll talk to you later.”

Maddie’s POVAfter we’re done shopping, we grab some dinner and when we’re done, Jordan tells me he needs to call Heather and take it easy, so he drops me off at my apartment, and we plan to hang out sometime this week, since he doesn’t have a game until Sunday. I close his car door and head up to my apartment.When I get up there, I tell Ann and Helen that I found a dress, and they tell me to show it to them. So, I put it on for them and walk back out into the family room. They tell me it’s great and perfect for my dad’s dinner, so I head back into my room and put my regular clothes back on and hang up the dress.When I walk back out into the family room, Helen asks me how Jordan is.“He’s fine,” I tell her. Ann and Helen are sitting on the couch and I join them.“What did he think of your dress? You showed it to him, right?” Helen asks.“Yeah, he was waiting outside when I tried it on, so I showed it to him. He seemed to like it…a lot.”“That could be a good sign. Did he say anything about Heather?” Ann asks.“Um, yeah, he did. He said their fights are getting worse, and that he’s seriously considering breaking it off.There’s a bit of a pause before Ann asks me a question.“Are you going to tell him?”“I don’t know.”There’s a lull in our conversation, with Ann and Helen looking at each other and rolling their eyes.“What?” I ask them. “What?”“Damn it all, Maddie, you should tell him!” Helen tells me in a tone of voice that’s much louder than usual. Helen never raises her voice, ever, so I’m taken aback by this.“I can’t!” I match the same tone she used to yell at me.“And why the hell not?” Ann asks.“He has a fucking girlfriend!”“They’re fighting! And, do you see her around here anywhere?” Helen asks.“No,” I hesitantly say.“You need to tell him. You’ve been moping around here all week while he’s been gone, even though you said you’d try to not think about it. You spend all your time in your room working on homework, which I know you hate doing. You’re not yourself, and you won’t be until you tell Jordan how you feel.”“But I don’t know how he feels about me!” I tell them. “I’m not risking our friendship; he’s too good of a friend.”“Well you can’t sit around here and be fucking miserable for the rest of your life,” Ann tells me harshly. “You’re making us fucking miserable too. You’re always happy, and that makes us happy. So when you’re fucking miserable, so are we. Please, tell him.”I don’t say anything. I get up from the couch, walk into my room, and close the door. I need to talk to my sister.I call Amy and pray that she answers. She just got back from traveling with the football team and she’s been really busy since her and her boyfriend, Matt (who works for an engineering company downtown) just moved in together last week, but I need her right now.“Hey, Maddie, what’s up?” she asks.“I really need to talk to you,” I tell her urgently. “Okay, about what?” she asks. She sounds concerned.“Well, you know how I broke up with Ryan?”“Yeah, that was like two weeks ago. Is he bothering you or something?”“No, it’s not that. It’s about someone else. I’m in love with someone, and I don’t think he feels the same way back.”“Okay, hold on one second,” she tells me. She says something to Matt and I can hear her moving away from the noise of their kitchen.“Okay, I’m all ears,” she says. “Tell me what’s going on.”“Well, I’m in love with this guy, and I have been since the summer. I’m pretty certain he doesn’t feel the same way about me though.”“Do I know this guy?” she asks.“Yes.”“Is this why you’ve been so unhappy the last little while here?”“Yes.”She doesn’t say anything back for a few seconds before she gasps:“I know who it is. It’s Jordan, isn’t it?”“How does everyone always guess it without me saying anything?” I yell, and I fall back onto my bed.“I’m your big sister,” she tells me. “I know these things. Remember we all hung out a couple of weeks ago? I kind of thought there might be something between you two.”“Well, there’s nothing going on between us, besides the fact that we’re still best friends. I don’t think he feels the way I do.”“I wouldn’t be so sure about that. I’m pretty good at reading people, Maddie, don’t forget that. I think Jordan likes you too.”“Yeah, as a friend.”“No, I think he likes you more than that. Wait a second, what about Heather?”“They’re fighting. A lot. Like he’s considering breaking up with her because it’s that bad. But while they’re together, I don’t want anything to happen between us. I don’t want to do or say something that could ruin it all. I don’t want to be the ‘other woman.’ Someone did that to me, and I could never do that to someone else.”“Well, no offense, but that girl, Alyssa, was a total bitch, and Adam was a total asshole at the end.”“Well, yeah, he cheated on me. With one of my best friends. That would certainly elevate them to bitch and asshole status.”“I know what you’re trying to do, and where you’re coming from, though,” Amy says. “And it’s admirable. You can’t live in misery though. Eventually, you have to tell him. And you should do it sooner rather than later.”I don’t say anything for a few seconds, and eventually Amy asks if I’m still there.“Yeah, I’m here,” I confirm. “I just don’t know what to do with my life. Do I risk our friendship for something that might not even happen?”“I can’t answer that for you, Maddie. I truly can’t, and I’m sorry, because I’m your big sister and I should have the answers. But that is the one question I can’t answer. Do you want to come over for dinner tomorrow night? We can talk then. I can even kick Matt out if you want me to.”“No, you don’t have to kick Matt out,” I laugh. “But dinner would be good.”“Great, then we can catch up and watch Gossip Girl together. This will be easier to talk about in person.”“Awesome. Thanks Amy, you’re the best.”“Tell me something I don’t know. Come on over at six.”“Great, I’ll see you then.”

Saturday, January 24, 2009

I wake up the next morning around ten and grab a little something to eat and then head to the gym. I think about what’s going on between Jordan and Heather, but I don’t want to think about it too much because I know he doesn’t like me that way. He’s going to be on the road for over a week, so that gives me a chance to hang out with some other people and get my mind off of the situation. *****Over the next week, the Pens don’t exactly have a good road trip. They have an overtime loss, two regulation losses, but close it out with a big win over the Blues. Jordan finally starts to put some points up on the board, and it looks like he might be turning it around. Maybe he won’t be in such a bad mood now. The guys gets back really late on Saturday night and have Sunday off and I get a call from Jordan around noon.“Hey, what’s up?” I ask him as I answer the phone. “Great game last night, by the way.”“Thanks,” he replies. “It was nice to finally get a win, since the rest of the trip wasn’t so great. How was Halloween?”“Good, kind of crazy. We spent yesterday recovering and doing homework. Are we still on for today?” Jordan and I had planned to go out to the mall because he needed a couple of things and so did I. “Definitely. Want to head out there around three? I’ll come over and pick you up, if that works.”“Sure, that would be good.”We talk a little bit longer and then hang up. I work on a few things and hang out until three, when he picks me up. *****“Hey, how’s it going?” I ask when I jump into his car.“Pretty good,” he replies as he gives me a hug. “Better now that we won a game and I’ve started to get some points.”We talk a little bit more before I decide to bring Heather into the conversation.“Well, I didn’t really get too much of a chance to ask you: how’s everything with Heather?”There’s silence for a few seconds, which leads me to think that things aren’t going so well.“Well, it’s not that great. We fought a couple more times this week, and every fight just gets worse and worse. I don’t think we’re going to last too much longer. I’m seriously considering breaking it off.”“I’m sorry,” I tell him. “Don’t worry about it. I’m trying not to think about it too much.”Jordan needs a couple of new dress shirts and ties, so that is our first mission once we get to the Pittsburgh Mills mall. We head to Macy’s to look first, and I veto a few things until we find some that look good. We then head to the dress department, because I need a new dress to wear to a dinner with my parents for my dad’s work (he’s a lawyer). I pull a few off the racks and head to the dressing room, and Jordan waits outside.I don’t like how the first couple of dresses on me, so I don’t even show them to Jordan. The third dress looks okay, so I walk out and show it to Jordan, who’s patiently sitting in a chair.“You like it?” I ask him.He looks up, then down, and nods his head. “Yeah, it looks good.”I look down at my dress, and tell him I’ll think about it. I try on a couple more that both of us like, then I get to the last dress, which had been the one I liked the most when I pulled it off the rack. It’s black and knee length, and perfect for this dinner I have to go to, but it’s also a lot of fun and I like how it looks on me. It fits really well. I head out to show it to Jordan.I got a huge reaction from him. His jaw actually dropped a little bit.“I’ll take that as a yes?” I ask him, laughing.“Maddie,” he says before pausing for a second. “You look beautiful.”I stand there awkwardly for a minute, not sure how to react. His reaction to me walking out in this dress was totally different from what I expected. He’s never told me that before. I blushed a little bit when he told me I looked beautiful.“Okay,” I say after a minute. “I’ll get it. Your reaction said it all.” I head back into the dressing room to change back into my jeans and t-shirt.Jordan’s POVWhen Maddie walked out of the dressing room in that dress, I couldn’t believe my eyes; she looked absolutely gorgeous. It actually took my breath away. I don’t know how to deal with this. I’m on the verge of breaking up with Heather, but I don’t think Maddie knows how I feel about her, that she’s part of the reason why I might break up with Heather. Shit. What the hell am I going to do?

The Penguins win 4-1 and Jordan plays a really good game and has an assist. Ann and I head downstairs after the game and wait outside of the Pens’ locker room, but we’re only down there for a few minutes until I hear someone call out, “Maddie!”I turn around and see Eric walking towards me. I run up to him and give him a big hug, and he returns it.“Tough loss,” I tell him after we break apart. “But you did a good job.”“Meh, I could have done better,” he tells me. We walk up to the outside of the Pens locker room, and Jordan’s not out yet, so I introduce him to Ann.“Eric, this is my roommate Ann. Ann, Jordan’s brother, Eric.”“Nice to meet you,” they say to each other and they shake hands.“Good game,” Ann says to him. “Thanks, but it wasn’t that great,” he says. “Wish we could’ve won it.”“Hey how’s Tanya?” I ask him, asking about his wife.“She’s good, everything’s going well. How’s that guy you started dating last month, Ryan?”“Uh, I broke up with him on Monday, actually. It wasn’t really working out.”“I thought he was a good guy?” Eric asks me.“Yeah, he is, but he just isn’t the guy for me. He was a little needy too, and that’s annoying.”“There’s nothing worse than someone that’s needy. Speaking of that, Jordan! How’s it going?” Eric sees Jordan behind me and walk up to each other and hug.“What about me?” Jordan laughs.“We were just talking about how needy you are,” Eric laughs.“I am NOT needy,” Jordan jokes, giving Eric a little punch in the arm.Ann and I move over and let them talk for a little bit, and we talk to a couple of the guys while we wait. Soon though, Eric has to leave, and Jordan, Ann, and I leave too. Jordan signs a few autographs on the way out and then comes back to our apartment and hangs out for a little bit. The guys are leaving tomorrow for a road trip that won’t have them back for about a week and a half, so we want to hang out before he leaves. We have a couple of beers and just talk for over a couple hours, and then he has to go, since they have practice in the morning, so I walk him out.“Hey,” I whisper as I close my apartment door and we head out to his car, “did you talk to Heather today?”“Um, yeah, I talked to her after the morning skate. I apologized to her, and she did the same, but something still isn’t right,” he tells me, and I can see the sadness in his eyes. “I don’t know what it is.”“I’m sorry.” “It’s okay, but I don’t know. Maybe we just aren’t working out anymore.”That really grabs my attention. I thought everything had been working out so well between them. I don’t know what to say. I shouldn’t say anything about it.“Well, if you need someone to talk to, you know I’m always here.” I give him a hug, and he gives me one too.“Thanks. I might take you up on that.”“Anytime, anywhere, you know it.”We stand there in silence for a minute, and Jordan breaks the silence.“I guess I should get going; we have practice in the morning and then fly up to New York.” He gives me a hug and tells me thanks, and then he gets into his car, and I walk back in as he drives away. I make it back to my apartment and into my bedroom before the tears start to fall. I know he doesn’t like me as more than a friend, and that he never will.

On Wednesday, Jordan picks me up at six and we go to an Italian place for dinner just to catch up. After we order some drinks, Jordan gets right into what I didn’t want to discuss over the phone yesterday.“So, how’s Ryan?” he asks as he takes a sip of his water.“Well, you just get right into things, don’t you?” I ask him as I laugh.“Well, yesterday you said we’d talk about it tomorrow night, and its tomorrow night, so tell me about it.”“Um, well, I broke up with him yesterday.”“You did?” he asks me, somewhat eagerly, and that makes me wonder for a second, but I ignore it.“Yeah, and it wasn’t the easiest of things to do. He didn’t see why I was breaking up with him.”“Well, he’s a dumb shit if he didn’t see that one coming.”We both laugh, and I tell him exactly what happened. We don’t really talk about hockey, since that’s a bit of a sensitive subject with Jordan right now. The only thing he asks me is if I want to come to the game tomorrow night, and of course I say yes. I love going to games and watching Jordan play, it’s so much fun (and I get to go for free).After dinner, Jordan drives me back to my apartment, and he hangs out with us for a little while. He offers Ann a ticket for the game too, and she says yes. Helen’s going out tomorrow night with a guy she met in class, or else she’d probably come with too. Jordan heads home around eleven, and I give him a hug before he leaves. Ann and I talk for a little while longer before we head to bed, and I’m thinking about the game tomorrow night, and Jordan and how he’s playing Eric, and that I’m glad I don’t have to hear Paul Steigerwald and Bob Errey say that “the Staals are brothers” fifty times while I watch the game. Jordan’s POVAs I drive away from Maddie’s apartment, I can’t help but think about how she broke up with Ryan and is single again. She dated a guy for awhile right when we first met, but was single all of last year. I didn’t even think about it at all before, but now I think about it a lot. Heather and I had another fight on the phone last night, and we haven’t talked to each other since. We haven’t gone that long without talking ever before, but I want to wait until tomorrow to try to call her. I tried today, twice, but she never called me back, which means she’s pissed, and I’m pissed too. I’m trying to be the bigger person; I didn’t even start our fight and I’m not the one that hung up first, but with Heather, that never matters. I’m starting to wonder how much longer I can deal with this. I’m also starting to wonder about Maddie, especially because she’s someone I can always talk to about anything, no matter what she’s doing or what time it is. She’s one of the best friends I’ve ever had, and we’ve only been friends for a couple of years. The fact that I have feelings for her is making me think twice about my relationship with Heather. I don’t want to jeopardize our friendship, but if I don’t tell her how I feel soon, I don’t know what I’ll do. I have to sort things out with Heather first though, and see if our relationship can get past this, because I do love her. Or at least I think I still do. Shit.Maddie’s POVI have trouble sleeping that night, and finally just decide to get up around seven, even though I don’t have class until nine. I decide to take a shower and eat some breakfast, and get to class a little early and talk to some of my friends before it starts.*****I get through my three classes of the day and go back to my apartment to make lunch and do some of my homework before Ann and Helen get back.“So, you haven’t really told us about this guy you’re going out with,” I tell Helen as we sit in our family room. “What’s he like?”“Well,” she begins with a smile on her face, “his name is Steve, and he’s a junior too. He’s also an architecture major, and he’s about six-foot two, and well, hot.”We laugh and ask her more about him, and then get ready for the game because Jordan’s just going to pick us up on his way there. Jordan calls me and tells me he’s on his way, so we head downstairs and wait. When he pulls up, we run outside through the rain and get into the car.“Hey how’s it going?” he asks as we close the doors.“Not too bad, how about you?” we ask.“Oh, not too bad. I’m hoping I get to lay Eric out tonight.”We laugh, and I ask him about Eric and how he’s doing, and he tells me he’s doing well, and that he wants to see me after the game. We pull up to Mellon and Jordan parks the car right next to Kris Letang, who’s just getting out of his.“Hey Kris,” I greet him as I open my door.“Hey Maddie,” he says back and we hug.Ann says hi to him as well, and we head inside. The boys head to the locker room and we get our tickets and hang out in the family room for awhile before heading up to our seats.

I head to my three classes of the day, and when I get out, I head to where I’m meeting Ryan for lunch. This isn’t going to be easy, since he’s so nice, but it’s what I have to do.“Hey,” he greets me as I walk up to him. He’s waiting outside, and he gives me a kiss on the cheek when I reach him. “Ready for lunch?”I nod, and we head in and manage to get a table right away. We order drinks, and we talk about our weekends, but I leave out the whole thing about me crashing at Jordan’s. I don’t want him to think I was cheating on him, which I wasn’t, but still. Before we get our food, there’s a lull in our conversation, and we don’t talk for a couple of minutes, until I decide to speak up.“Hey, Ryan, I wanted to meet you here for lunch today because we need to talk,” I begin.“About what?” he asks me, reaching for my hand. I pull it away.“About us.”“Well, what about us?” he asks after a minute.“Ryan, you’re a nice guy and all, but I’m sorry, I just don’t think we’re a good couple.”“Well, I happen to think otherwise.”“Ryan, it’s just, well…I’m sorry. I hate to sound clichéd, but it’s not you, it’s me. You’re great and all, but I just don’t really feel anything.”He looks at me incredulously, and as the waitress puts our food down, she can tell something’s going on, so she hurries away.“Maddie, I like you, a lot. I really do. I feel like we have something.”I don’t really have anything to say, because I don’t know what to say. We sit there for a couple minutes in silence before he speaks up.“Are you in love with someone else?” he asks.I shift my eyes down towards my food and don’t say a word.“It’s Jordan, isn’t it?” he loudly says.I don’t say a word.“Holy shit, it is. I knew it, I knew it.” He pounds the table with his fist a couple of times.“Can you calm down please?” I ask. “People are looking.”“Like I care. You’re dumping me for someone who doesn’t even know you’re in love with them!”“Like I said, it’s not you, it’s me.” This is pissing me off.“Yeah, no shit. So, Jordan, huh? Your best friend? Who has a girlfriend that he’s in love with?”“You know what? I don’t have to talk to you about this. You’re being an asshole. I don’t have any feelings for you, and I never will. So, I’m sorry, goodbye.”Ryan looks at me, shocked. I was mean, but he was being an asshole. I grab my backpack and get out of the booth. Ryan tries to get me to stay, but I just shake my head and walk out of the restaurant and walk home. That was not the way I wanted to end it, but I didn’t really have a choice.*****When I got home, Helen was there, so she asked me how lunch was as I flopped down on the couch.“Oh, it was lovely,” I sarcastically tell her. “Did you break up with him?” she asks.“Yep. It sucked. He thought that we were a great couple and that everything was working fine, and I felt otherwise, so that was a great talk.”“I’m sorry, that doesn’t sound like a lot of fun.”“Yeah, it sucked, but I really didn’t have a choice. He also guessed that I’m in love with Jordan, but I didn’t confirm or deny it.”“I mean, it’s not very obvious that you’re in love with Jordan, since you two are best friends and always hang out all the time anyway, but I mean, I can see how he guessed it.”“Well yeah, whatever. It’s done, but it’s not like I’m totally happy, either.”Just then, my stomach rumbles really loudly, and Helen laughs.“Wait, I thought you got lunch with him,” she laughs.“About that,” I begin. “We ordered lunch and as I was breaking up with him we got it, and I didn’t really have a chance to eat it.”We both laugh, and that helps me feel a little better. She asks me if I want to go out and grab something, and I say yes, so we head out and grab some lunch.*****We watch the Penguins game that night, and they manage to win, 2-1, in the shootout. Jordan got a couple of penalties, but overall it was a good game. People are starting to criticize Jordan for his play though, since he’s not producing a whole lot, even though he’s doing a pretty good job. It pisses me off, since he’s my best friend, but I have to take it with a grain of salt, since everyone is entitled to their own opinions.The next day, in between classes, I feel my phone vibrating and I look down at it: it’s Jordan.“Hey, what’s up?” I ask.“Oh, not too much, just heading into the rink. We have optional practice. How’s your day going so far?” he asks.“Not too bad. I’m just in between classes right now. Nice win last night!”“Thanks, it was a close one, I’m just glad we got the two points. No game until Thursday now, so that’s nice.”“Is Eric coming in on Wednesday?” I ask him. They’re playing the Hurricanes on Thursday, so I wanted to see if Eric was coming in the night before.“I actually just talked to him, and they’re not coming up until Thursday morning. It’s too bad; I wanted to catch up with him. Hey, do you have a lot of homework tonight, or do you want to meet up for dinner or something?”“Well, I do have something due tomorrow, so can we do it tomorrow instead?”“Sure, how about I pick you up around six? Is that okay?”“Sounds good.”We talk a little bit and then he decides to ask me about Ryan.“Can we just talk about that tomorrow night?” I ask him.“Sure, I mean, did something happen?” he asks.“Yeah, something happened. I’d rather just talk about it in person though.”Jordan respects that, and we talk for a little while longer before I have to go to class. I hang up the phone and walk into my classroom and talk to a few people before class starts, and I’m thinking about seeing Jordan tomorrow night the whole time.